Remember the infamous moment when Elon Musk and Tesla’s head of styling Franz von Holzhausen smashed the window of the Cybertruck during the official presentation of the model in 2019? Well, that wouldn’t have happened if there was a BMW i7 instead.

The German firm has just published the photos in which we can see the limousine is riddled with bullet holes and all kinds of impactsenough to highlight the new Protection program, a program that has been found in BMW for several years and which allows the protection of certain models in the range, including the 7 Series and, as a result, the new i7.

The first armored electric car

Thus, the new BMW 7 Series was entitled to the VR9 treatment, one of the most comprehensive ballistic certifications for civilian vehicles. i7 Protection will be the first electric car in history that meets these requirements.

The car protection program is developed in-house at the Dingolfing plant. The i7 has an armored steel body that BMW claims can withstand 7.62 X 54 R rounds, which are classified as “armor-piercing bullets.”

The roof and base are also made of armored materials that offer a “Great protection against explosives and even air attacks”. The car is also equipped with special Michelin MAX run-flat tires, which can reach speeds of up to 80 km/h even with a complete loss of pressure. They are mounted on special 20-inch alloy wheels.

Based on the BMW i7 M70

BMW says it wanted to make the Protection models as inconspicuous as possible, so run-flat tires, thicker windows and flag holders above the front fenders are the only elements that distinguish the armored cars from the “civilian” cars.

Customers can customize Protection models with a number of options such as fresh air, automatic and manual fire extinguishers, flashing lights and radios.

Mechanically, the i7 Protection will replace the transmission from the i7 M70 with two developing electric motors. 544 hp and 745 Nm of torque. The figures are not too great: acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes 9 seconds, and the maximum speed is limited to 160 km/h.

A car heavier than the i7 M70 would certainly have to play with the 3.5 tonne permitted limit for a B permit in France. In terms of range, it shouldn’t be a panacea, as the i7 M70 claims 480km, but with a hundred kilos more to haul, the range should be well under 400km.